James Bond Portrait Gallery

Administrative

Here’s to a long life and a merry one A quick death and an easy one A pretty girl and an honest one A cold beer and another one!

In the spirit of the holiday, maybe point you in the direction of Ireland’s largest newspaper, the Independent. The venerable organ has recently put together a list of items connecting the Emerald Isle with the world of James Bond. Sadly, it’s not a long list, and to quote even a small portion would probably put us in violation of fair use laws. Nevertheless, you’ll probably enjoy checking it out (especially with a Guinness or two under your belt), and possibly even learn something new. So hie your fine self over to their website for some 007 Irish Connections, and read up on it.

On a boiling hot afternoon in early 1962, four friends were walking along a beach in Jamaica when, from across a sand dune, a man shouted at them to lie down.

The man was Terence Young, director of the first Bond film Dr No and he was about to shoot the soon-to-be-famous scene in which Ursula Andress strides, goddess-like, from the sea, wearing a barely-there bikini and an elusive pout.

The quartet of pals had unwittingly walked directly between the camera and Andress as she was about to emerge from the surf. They were poet Stephen Spender, critic Peter Quennell, playwright Noel Coward — and Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond.

It’s one of our favorite behind-the-scenes stories of James Bond filmmaking, and a great way to start off an entertaining and informative read. Enjoy!